Beliefs. We all have them, but how do we get them? What grounds our political convictions? What explains our theistic or atheistic inclinations? In short, where do our beliefs come from? Are some simply innate? Might there be an evolutionary account? How much of an influence do our lived circumstances play? To what degree (if any) are our beliefs matters of genuine personal choice? Another important question about beliefs regards their content - what, exactly, is the content of our beliefs? Take perceptions: are the contents of perceptions just images or pictures of the world in our minds, or do our perceptions include the objects themselves? Might the actual contents of perceptions and thoughts extend beyond our own persons? Could there be a kind of public super-sphere where all our ideas converge? Beliefs, it might surprise you to hear, are complicated and controversial things. This month's Philosopher's Cafe will explore several different aspects of these indispensable though convoluted and controversial items of our everyday existence.
